The last day

Today is the day.  My human's LAST official day of work.  She will still be doing SOME work from time to time - but the daily trip into the office will now end. 

My human feels happy and sad about this decision.   Happy for her newfound freedom.  Well - she's not TOTALLY free - she still has US to keep her more than busy.  And we can be a full time job.  But she will be able to do things that she hasn't had time for in many years.  And she looks forward to that adventure.

At the same time - she is sad - because she will miss the many wonderful people she has met in her career.  My human worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist and she worked for most of her career with adults who have aphasia.  Aphasia is a communication problem that results after someone has a stroke or brain injury.  I have actually written about aphasia before - so if you need a refresher, you can read about it here:

https://viktorsviews.blogspot.com/2015/06/aphasia.html

If we converted her many years of work into dog years she has worked for over 250 years!  That's crazy.

But my human loved her work.  She loved teaching graduate students and working with colleagues.  But most of all - she loved the patients she had the honor of working with.  They inspired her.  They motivated her.  They made her laugh and ocassionally they even made her cry.  She learned something from each and every one.  And she admired their resiliance...

She also learned so much from the family members and friends of the individuals with aphasia - who shared in the aphasia journey.   It wasn't always an easy road for them either.  

In the end,  she hopes that she was able to make their journeys with aphasia a little bit easier...

So onward to the next chapter.  My human has new roads to explore - and we’ll be there to guide her on her path.   And don’t you worry- we’ll be sure that she never gets bored!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 7

Fala la la la

January 30. And today is the birthday of the 32nd President of the US - Franklin D. Roosevelt.  I'm not a political dog (!) so I won't go into FDR's policies or any of that - but I WILL tell you that he owned a dog - Fala, who was a VERY famous presidential dog and is THE only dog to be represented in a presidential memorial!  

Yup - Fala, was a Scottish Terrier -and close sidekick to the president.   Fala was a WELL behaved dog - who traveled to many places with the President and had a huge following in the press.  Mind you - there was one scandal involving Fala, when it was reported that FDR mistakenly left Fala behind on a trip to the Aleutian Islands - and he spent millions in sending the Navy back to get Fala.  FDR even addressed this "fake news"  in an address to the public:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cdz-Zbsw2g

Here's a great summary story all about Fala and FDR:

 https://barkpost.com/life/world-leaders-their-dogs/

So as I said, I won't comment on FDR or his policies - but clearly he must have been a half decent guy to have such a loving companion who missed him so much when he was gone....  Happy birthday Mr. President.  He would have been 137. 

Hey - I FORGOT to tell you about something great when they had my human's retirement party from work last week.    They had a lovely dinner for her and gave her several gifts - two very nice books AND a substantial gift certificate.  And WHERE was the gift certificate to you might ask.  And if you didn't, I'll still tell you.  No - not a jewelry store.  Not a book store or a clothing store.  Thankfully NOT the Dollar Store.  Nope - not a restaurant.  Do you know WHERE the gift is for?  The PET store.  Seriously - is that not THE best gift ever?    I guess her colleagues at work heard that she has dogs.  The multiple photos and the breed calandars in her office were no doubt a BIT of a giveaway.  And the fact that she talks about us once in awhile.  Cough.  Cough.  Anyway - that gift is VERY much appreciated and will be put to GOOD use!!!!!!

One more day of work for her tomorrow.....counting hours now....

Have a good one.  Peace and pawsup.
Seizure free days: 6

Happy birthday

It’s a special day!! And I mean special in a GOOD way- not in a weather way.  It’s Einstein’s birthday!!!!!

My older brother turns 9 today.  9!!!!! When did that happen?!  

But Einstein is a young 9.  Heck - he just became a father in November!  So his swimmers are still swimming.  And if you didn’t know his age, you would swear he wasn’t a day over 5.

And speaking of his offspring, Indi, who now goes by Ginny, has gone to her home in Winnipeg- and she is reportedly settling in just great.  She  has an older sister - a Wheaten Terrier who initially kept waiting for Ginny to go home - but now they are getting along just fine.  She has experienced snow and she supposedly doesn’t mind it one bit.  She travelled well on her flights.  OK - she cried during the first flight but did fine on the second.  I have no idea how they managed to fit that big girl under a seat.  She must have been folded up like Gumby.  Mind you, her father can fit in THE most awkward places and then will sleep there.  So no wonder she fit under the seat.

Einstein is looking forward to some extra treats today - and being the generous big brother that he is, he will no doubt share them with us.  He better.

So cheers to my bro.  I still like to chew your ears, lick your paws and attempt to throw you to the ground outdoors.  But just so you know - you ARE my hero...

Oh - and by the way - you are absolutely THE most cooperative photo model. Ever.  

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 5

Company!

Guess who came to visit yesterday?!  Mighty Milo!!! Our little (in size but not in personality) Coton de Tulear friend from New Brunswick.  And he brought his human, Karen, with him.  Karen is an old friend of my human.

When he arrived, my human let us out to meet him.  Well- me and Einstein.  She was worried that the FG might get a BIT too excited and decide to take off.  She had visions of chasing him as he chased Milo. So we went out first.  We remembered him right away.  He checked out our yard and we made sure to do a thorough urinalysis of any place he stopped to make his mark.  After he explored, he was ready to play.  He would dash around us like a wild thing- racing and doing zoomies. I just stood suspended and watched him.  Einstein barked at him but didn’t really join in the chase.  Poor Milo met the slug brothers.

But then he went inside and got to meet the FG...

The FG was TOTALLY enamoured with this white fluffy ball of energy.  So he went right to Milo’s butt - to “say hello.”  Mighty Milo said “hey - knock it off” and basically told the FG off.  The FG is used to being told off by us PONs - imagine his disappointment that Milo did not want to play with him.  I think if they were given a BIG open space - they would have a blast because Mighy Milo is SUPER fast.  But indoors, he had no interest in playing with the crazy-haired coyote-like creature.  The FG had to be satisfied with lots of pats from Karen, which he repeatedly requested!

We were all beat after their visit. So we napped for the remainder of the day. My human wishes Milo could come by EVERY day.

Well - this is IT.  My human’s last week of work.  She is off today - as she always is.  And then she works Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  And that’s IT.  OK.  She will be doing some work in April - but until then - she is all ours!!! Let the next chapter begin!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 4

The model dog

So my human went to work yesterday. And she supposedly cleaned out some file cabinets.  She SAYS she does not intend to bring much home. That I want to see.  You know what happens with you humans.  You pack the stuff in boxes, bring it home, and never look at it again.  I’m telling you - we would make excellent shredders.

When she got home, she decided to take the FG for a walk on the golf course.  Oopsie- although it was just before sundown, there were still some hardy souls out there batting around golf balls while wearing mittens.  True - there was no snow- but it WAS chilly. Anyway, my human and the FG zigzagged around the course.  Taking pictures as they walked.  The FG wasn’t taking them - but you know who was.  The sky and lightning was reportedly perfect, and for some odd reason, the FG was happy posing!  Go figure.

As they approached the parking lot, the FG positioned himself as he always does, on a rock to overlook the area.  A couple was loading their clubs in their car - and he stood and watched them from his high vantage point looking down on the lot.  The couple didn’t appear to notice him- he and my human were at a distance.  The man and woman got in their car, as the FG watched them.  Suddenly the car door opened and the man stepped out.  He shouted to my human “Excuse me - just what is that you have there?”  My human felt like responding “It’s a wolf,” but decided to be polite.  She shouted “It’s a French herding  breed called a Berger Picard or a Picardy Shepherd.”  The man replied “He’s amazing.” All the while  the FG stood completely still, posing like some kind of model.    She almost shouted “he can be rented out by the day and I pay you,” but she decided not to ruin the moment.  The man and woman then waved as they drove away. If they only knew...

Rumor has it we may be having some visitors today.  So we’ll have to be on our best behavior.  Hahahahaha.  Now wouldn’t THAT be amazing if all THREE of us behaved?!  Should be interesting...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 3

New breeds

Well the Westminster dog show in New York City is around the corner and they just announced that two new breeds will be added to the line-up.

First we have the Nederlandse kooikerhondjes.  And I thought the Xoloitzcuintli had the most letters.  And I KNOW you are trying to pronounce it - so here you go:   
NAY-dehr-lahn-seh KOY-kehr-hahnd-jeh.   That was easy.  And particularly easy if you are from the Netherlands - because that's where they originated.   They are in the sporting group.  Here's a short little video that is a nice intro to the breed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHoR35vmTvQ

I really like that ear thing they have going on.  Those ears would be awesome to chew on!

The other newcomer to the Big Apple is the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen. These guys are in the hound group.  You may have heard of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen.  Well this is SIMILAR but a totally different breed. For one thing it is larger than the Petit.  Which makes sense - given the name... The Grand Basset is also longer overall, than the Petit, which is more compact in body.  There are also difference in ear lengths and in tail lengths.  Here is a video about them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZrPO2GLgCE 

OK.  I think we need one of these guys.  They have a shaggy look like us PONs and they come from France- like a Picard.   So they are a combo of PON and Picard.  OK.  I know that's a stretch - but I DO like them.  They are hounds - so that makes them different.  So we need one.  My human says we don't.  I say she'll be retired - she will have PLENTY of time for another dog... OK.  Maybe not enough MONEY - but LOTS of time.  

Well, it's Saturday.

Rumor has it my human MAY be going into the office today to throw reams of paper into the recycling bins.  We KNOW what a packrat she is - so we can just IMAGINE what her office looks like.  We could go with her and help with shredding....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 2 

Robbie Burns

For Auld Lang Syne...  OK.  It's not New Year’s.  But do you know who WROTE Auld Lang Syne? It's a poem written by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.  Or Robbie Burns as we like to call him in Halifax.  And today is his birthday!

Burns lived from 1759-1796.   Just 37 years. He was a poet and lyrist who is regarded as the National Poet of Scotland - but he is well-known around the world.  Here in Halifax we even have a Burns Club - which celebrates the life of the poet and promotes Scottish culture.  There are only 37 male members in the by-invitation-only club - one member for every year of Burns' life.  They like to get together and do things like eat haggis.  OK - I don't know about the haggis part - but they do regularly meet.  And they will be meeting and singing songs under Burns' statue in the park today - and they will later be having a social - at a local pub.

So that's all interesting - BUT did you KNOW that Burns loved dogs?!  And he was owned by a border collie named Luath.  Luath was his constant companion, and several sources say that Luath introduced Burns to his future wife - by stealing some of the woman’s laundry! 

Luath died tragically in an accident- the night before Burns’ father’s funeral.  Burns was so upset over the loss of his best buddy, that he wrote a famous poem The Twa Dogs,  featuring Luath.

There are statues of Burns all over the globe (at least 60!)  and several feature Burns with Luath - in Boston (USA), Dumfries (Scotland) and in Ballarat (Australia).   Our statue in Halifax doesn’t have Luath.   Guess I have to contact the club to see about getting a new one.   Note that I will have to contact them ... my human cannot do so as it IS a men’s only club.  I’m not saying another word about THAT.  Cough.  Cough.

Anyway, today you should lift a glass of whiskey and make a toast to haggis and Burns.  We dogs can skip the whiskey, but bring on the haggis!!!!!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 2

Garbage day

In our household, taking out the garbage can be a death defying act.

Our garbage pick up is on a rotating cycle.  One week they will pick up "regular garbage" - basically the stuff that cannot be recycled and the next week they pick up the organics bin and all the recyclables. 

Now to appreciate this story, you also need to keep in mind that our driveway is probably 200 yards long.  And part of it is on an incline.

Two weeks ago was "regular day".  And for some unknown reason, we had two cans full of stuff.  My human actually lugged the cans into the vehicle and drove them up to the road.  In the dark.  In the early morning hours.  Unfortunately, it was a special weather day.  So before the garbage truck came, the snow plow guys came.  My human came home from work and found both garbage cans in the ditch.  Full. The plow guys had knocked them into the ditch.  There was much joy and laughter trying to get them out.  Not.

Fast forward to yesterday.  Another regular garbage day.  First, my human had to throw herself against the cans because they were frozen to the ground.  We yelled out instructions from in the house as we watched her headlamp moving back and forth, up and down.  She was finally able to extricate the cans.  So she came in to get the FG who would accompany her to the road - one can at a time.

Here's a secret - when garbage cans freeze to the ground, their wheels also freeze.  So as my human struggled to drag the can up the incline,  it suddenly started making this high pitched LOUD squealing sound.  I mean REALLY loud.  Now remember who is on the other end of the leash.  Mr. Curious.  He stops DEAD in his tracks and stares at the can.  And looks at my human who is dragging it with all her might.  Well, the FG decides the weird sound is  just TOO much "fun."   So he grabs his leash and starts pulling with all his might.  So we have my human pulling the can up the driveway and the FG attempting to pull HER into the WOODS.  And the squealing continues - which just fuels his pulling and dancing on the other end of the leash.  She makes it up to the road, leaves the can and heads back to the house - with the FG in tow.  The whole procedure is repeated.

As they are headed back to the house, the FG decides to have more fun.  It was just after the full moon - so the moon was bright in the sky.  And as they are walking  the FG stops and STARES at the tree tops.  Which are illuminated by the moon.  And he just stands and stares.  My human looks up, but doesn't see anything.  But he keeps looking and looking.  As she tugs him along, he now stops to look into the woods.  Like he hears something.  By now my human is starting to get a little freaked out because he won't move.  And she doesn't want to KNOW what he hears.   She finally manages to get him moving and he suddenly decides it is time for some zoomies.  Luckily she sees the telltale tail tuck (that's a tongue twister) so she braces herself and holds on tight.  She has visions of him getting loose on the ice rink yard - in the dark.  Luckily she holds on and manages to get him in the house.  Mission accomplished.

And now it was time for OUR walk.  I did hear her quietly praying as we went out the door. Never a dull moment.  Ever.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 1

Party

Well they had the long awaited retirement party for my human yesterday. It apparently was a lovely affair- dinner and everything.  Not that WE were invited.  So we decided to have our own party.  At home.

The human party was scheduled after work. Unfortunately, the day began on a bad note- I had a seizure. Yup. Back to zero.  Maybe it was the moon.

Anyway, my human was super worried about me. She worked from home for the morning, and then asked Pig Pen’s human if he could come and let us out for a pee at suppertime. And he would also need to give me my pill at 7.  He’s a great guy- he frequently comes to our rescue.  He said no problem. 

Anyway he came in and let us out through the garage and into the run on the side of the garage.  Which was PERFECT.  We all had our pees and came back in.  He gave us our treats and we were all set.  The only thing he didn’t know was that Einstein, when he came in through the garage, somehow managed to grab the stuffed hedgehog.  The neighbor saw him carrying it - but didn’t know that we are stuffed toy surgeons.  How could he?  Most dogs are good with stuffed things.  But not this crew.

So as you can see in the photo, the hedgehog is dead. We had our own party.  Stuffing, the remains of the plastic squeaker and the outer shell of the hedgehog lay strewn around the dining room. We had a blast.

So my human has one more official week of work after this week.  She will still be dabbling in her work from time to time, but her regular routine will be OVER.  We are looking forward to it.  

Now I just need to make enough money with my blog to buy another hedgehog.... Never a dull moment.

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 0

Collars

I mentioned collars yesterday. Including the one for 1.8 million.  They were low on stock - so they would not have been able to ship all three.  My human said we'll wait to order until they have all of them.

We have some LOVELY collars that she bought for us - was it last year?  They are made of leather - but the best part is the fact that they have our names on them - on a custom plate.  With our phone number.   JUST in case one of us goes AWOL and needs to be returned.  I have a lovely red one, the FG has purple and Einstein has a light mint green.  As if we really care about color.

Anyway, when my human was grooming Einstein on the weekend - or should I say wrestling with Einstein with a brush in her hand,  she took off his collar.  And she suddenly remembered that the phone number is no longer correct.  When we changed our internet provider, we changed our landline as well (we are probably the last people on the planet with a landline, but my human is slow with this technology stuff).  And with the change, we had to change our phone number.  So as a result - our lovely collars with the identification plates, have the wrong phone number.  So.  Do we try to pry off the old name plates?  Do we add a tag with the correct info?  OR do we get NEW collars?

When we examined the name plates on the collars, there is no way they will come off easily.  Well...one of US could get them off - but the leather collar would not really look the same.  As for ordering dangling tags - well you know our penchant for romping through the woods.  The tag would likely get lost.  Just like my epilepsy tag did.  We have no idea where THAT went - but it's gone.  So dangling tags in this house don't work well.  So.  It looks like new collars.

Now trust me - it's not like we don't HAVE any collars in this house.  We could probably start a business selling collars.  There are some pretty fancy Swiss Bernese collars in that garage - but for some reason, she can't part with them.  I could wear them as a belt.  We also have some LOVELY collars in this house with the quick release clasps.   But just like her old-fashioned preference for things like landlines, my human DOES like an old fashioned buckle collar.  To be honest, nice collars on us fuzzy dogs is REALLY a waste of money.  You can't even SEE them.  But - they are a necessity - and one does like to be fashionable....Or at least SHE likes us to be fashionable. 

We also have that cool tick collar that a friend sent me.  I haven’t been wearing it just since we had the snowy weather.  But I’ll be wearing it again in the spring.  It seemed to work so we’ll give it the full test then. 

So you know what this all means.  My human will order NEW collars JUST like the old collars.  She may change the colors - just to be different. And I repeat - as IF we care.

My human is the supreme bargain hunter.  She got the old collars on a website called Etsy.  She will order them again -and IF they turn out as they did the first time, we will share the company's name.  The leather is soft and nice and the collars have held up great.  I did point out to her that given the good price, we don't know EXACTLY where that leather comes from....She told me to be quiet. I see that that DO sell on Amazon too.

Well.  Time to start guard duty.  Only a few more days!!!!!  Rumor has it, they are having  a retirement party for my human today. Let's hope she brings home any leftovers...

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 6

Dior

January 21.  And it is the birthday of Christian Dior, the famous French fashion designer who lived from 1905-1957.  Dior created his house of fashion, and although he only designed for his house for 10 years before he died, the name endured, with other designers subsequently creating under his label - like Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano.  Many famous movie stars and political figures have “worn Dior” over the years - and the man himself even created a famous perfume.

So what does that have to do with dogs?  Well apparently Mr. Dior named each of his designs and in 1948 created  dress/suit - which he named “The Bobby” after his dog, Bobby.  He even created a limited edition perfume, and the bottle looked like his dog.  So obviously the guy liked his dog.

While Dior did not design apparel for dogs (thankfully),  some “rare” Dior dog collars have reportedly sold on EBay for over $500.  First off - while many designers DO cater to us canines, it does not appear that the House of Dior has done that.  So it is likely fake.  But lest you think that $500 is a huge sum for a collar, my human found one with diamonds totaling 52 carats that can be yours for 1.8 million.  She tried to find the website so she can order three. 

She was researching because we DO need new collars....to be continued.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 5

The carpet...

Well we are having a “special” day today.  Really special.  You know what that means.  Snow.  Several inches.  Followed by high winds and torrential rain.  And THEN the temperature will plummet. So we get a luge run driveway and a skating rink lawn.  I’m moving to Florida.

So let’s talk about a topic that isn’t new - but one I neglected (or chose not) to highlight.  If you took my trivia quiz the other day, you probably noted that I mentioned the dining room area carpet...

My human has been quite diligent about keeping the corners of the carpet covered with chairs.  Chairs that are placed on their sides.  My human’s sister said that whenever she comes in, it looks like there has been a brawl.  Or a tornado - that touched down around the perimeter of the dining room table.

My human has been diligent.  Very diligent.  But all it took was ONE day when she was in a rush (it may have been the day that Einstein did his walk about down the road) - and she forgot to assemble the chairs in wall formation.  And guess who seized the opportunity to do some creative rug work.  Yup.  Another corner has been nibbled.  

The handiwork or should I say the teethiwork was not as complete as the previous corner.  But it HAS begun.  My human will have to get out her needle and thread again.  But for now, there is an upside down stool, with the seat covering the chewed carpet. All the time.  

My human will NOT be going anywhere on this “special” day - so there is an upside to this weather.  Time to get the bunny out.  But don’t bother with the cup game - it’s too boring -we would rather watch paint dry.  Or carpets being sewn....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 4

Memory

January 19. And according to the crazy calendar, today is also Good Memory Day. The timing is perfect- because my human just read an article in Psychology Today that looked at dog intelligence.  They did a study at the University of Arizona, and they concluded that bigger dogs are smarter than smaller dogs. ( Now don’t shoot me - I’m just the messenger on this one.  ). And the results were particularly interesting in a test of memory. 

The study looked at data that was reported by humans owned by dogs -  through the results of an on-line “intelligence” test. The test has the dog perform a number of exercises.  And while there ARE limitations to this study - one exercise that measured “delayed memory” showed a definite trend toward better memory in bigger dogs than in smaller dogs.  The exercise required the following:

A dog was shown a treat and then it was placed under one of two cups.  With the dog watching.  The dog had to then wait for four different time periods and at the end of each time period was released to find  the treat.  They said that four trials were done - I am assuming four times for each of the time periods of 60, 90, 120 and 150 seconds.  

You, of course, know what comes next.  We had to test the theory.

My human started with the FG. She put him in a “down stay” and showed him the treat.  She then covered it with a cup and put another cup a few feet away.

You know how when you are late for something, and you have one minute to do something- and that one minute FLIES BY?   Yeah- well one minute when you are waiting with a dog in a “stay” somehow goes MUCH more slowly. The good news?  The FG pretty much stays where you tell him.  I was not nearly as patient and Einstein was the worst.  He kept squeaking and breaking his down.  The only dog in this house who has an obedience title.  Go figure. 

So the results?  I bet you are all thinking that we chowhound PONs with the great memories would ACE this exercise.  While the non-attentive non-food liking Picard would fail.  Well I am here to tell you - we PONs blew it. For the 60 second time period , Einstein and I only scored correctly on 1/4 trials.  The FG?  Who almost looked like he could fall asleep waiting?  4/4.  

The FG tried the 90 second exercise and got 2/4.  When they got to 120 and 150 seconds, he failed the initial trial for each time period and was CLEARLY getting bored- so they didn’t do the 4 trials for those times.  Given our abysmal performance at 60 seconds, my human didn’t even bother to try the longer times for us.  I think that was a mistake.  Maybe we just thought it was too easy - so didn’t pass at 60 seconds because we weren’t even trying.  I bet we would have been bang on at 150 seconds.  Sure we would.

So with our limited data and sketchy methodology, our results concluded that the bigger dog in this house is smarter - or at least was for this exercise.  I am demanding a recount.

I think it’s interesting that my human can give the FG kibble to search for while she walks me and Einstein each day. And I cannot WAIT to get in the house, knowing that he likely didn’t find every kibble.  I remember it was left out.  And our walk takes longer than 60 seconds.  So one would THINK I have a good memory.  Perhaps it’s the routine - but my human knows that we DO REMEMBER things very well.  So why we failed so miserably- who knows.

Let me know if you try this out. And if you have several dogs of different sizes, see if the bigger dogs do better.  Given this theory, Bucket Head should have been a genius. Adorable, loving, sweet-yes. But super smart?   Remember, he’s the one that swallowed my human’s sling.   Mind you... I eat dryer lint....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 3

Here’s the link to that article:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201901/are-big-dogs-smarter-small-dogs?amp

Temperamental. And strange.

I'm SURE I have talked about this before - but it bears repeating.  Picards are temperamental.  You never quite know what kind of mood the FG will wake up in.  Really.  Some days he is all rolled up in his crate (which has no door on it) and doesn't even move a MUSCLE when my human gets up and goes to take us out.  He opens one eye, looks at us PONs who are spinning like tops - and rolls over.  That means he is in a "mood."  He takes his time getting up on those days.  Mind you - once he is UP and hits the fresh air,  well it's like when my human gets that cup of coffee.  He is suddenly ALIVE.  So I guess, first off, he is not a morning  dog.  But he can also be temperamental, as we know, with eating.  The other morning when my human put his breakfast down, he looked at it and said no thanks.  She is used to that.  So at supper time, she added some raw food.  He wouldn't touch it.  His third chance was right before bed.   We always get a snack (so I can get my CBD dose).  He STILL didn't want to eat.   He would eat biscuits - but his own food - nope.  So that bowl of raw went in the compost.   Now the next morning, he was STARVING and ate everything down to the last tiny bit.  Just watching him not eating for a day is like watching a horror film to me.  I cannot IMAGINE why he does that.  HOW he does that.

He is also inconsistent in his delivery skills.  Delivery skills?  The newspaper.  He and my human go up to the road each morning to get the paper.  Now keep in mind the following: It is dark out.  It is icy out.  My human is dressed like she is going on a polar expedition - so her mobility is rather restricted.  She is also super cautious about not falling.

When she picks up the paper, it is often in a plastic bag.  And the FG wants it.  She CANNOT give it to him if there is no bag, because he takes it, drops it and then tears it up.  So no bag, no game.  And the game is pretty much played by his rules.  Although sometimes my human calls the shots. 

So if it IS in a bag, he wants it.  She gives it to him and instructs him to “be a good boy and hold it.”  He takes two steps and drops it. And then STARES at it like it is some kind of meteor that just dropped from the sky. She tells him “take it.” He stares at it.  She bends over, and picks it up. And of course he wants it.  She gives him the same instructions. This time he prances and throws the paper in the air. Which lands on the ice at the side of the driveway and slides down into the ditch.  Unhappy ditties come from my human.  She knows that the likelihood that he will go down in the ditch and get it are pretty slim.  Which means she has to find a non-icy vantage point where she can climb down.  As she is scanning for her climbing point, the FG decides to jump down into the ditch. Back before my time, my human had a Labrador,  who could be instructed to retrieve the paper from the ditch - and he was 100% reliable in getting it.  He could even retrieve garbage can lids. But I digress.  And we’re talking about the FG.

Anyway, much to my human’s amazement, he gets  it!!! And jumps back up onto the driveway.  Score!  My human is telling him how brilliant he is as he proudly carries his prize.  For 4 feet.  Then he drops it. And stares at it.

It is at this point that my humam announces the “three strikes and you’re out” rule,  she bends over, picks up the paper and tucks it under her arm.  The FG shrugs his shoulders and begins to tug on the leash . At which point the announcement is made that “ALL GAMES ARE OVER.”

He trots happily down the driveway. Where he is headed in to stare at his food dish.

Yes.  These Picards are a VERY interesting breed....

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 2

A trivia game!!!!

We had a good day yesterday.  My human worked from home - to keep an eye on me.  And good news - no additional seizures.  She kept herself sequestered in the DFZ,  so she could actually get work done -but could watch me all day.  Now we hope to get back on the seizure-free road.

We have some other good news...thanks to you!   Thanks for clicking on the ads on my blog.  We will soon be getting another dog biscuit payment!!!!!!!  We appreciate your support!!!!

And speaking of my blog...we decided it's time to do a little blog trivia.  We have  published over 1500 posts.  My human goes back to read some of them and has a chuckle.  She thankfully doesn't remember ALL the bad things we do - so she reads them like it's the first time she has ever seen them!  All of our badness blends together.

So here's some trivia for you loyal readers.  Some is general trivia - and the rest is info from 2018.  Kind of a year in review. We are not including sad news..like people or pets passing or about my seizures - we want to make this FUN.  So let's go...

1.  First a general one.  What does FG stand for?
2.  What business establishment do we dread seeing bags from?
3.  What product did that business run out of this year?
4.  What breed of dog won Westminster last year?
5.  What breed of dog won Crufts last year?
6.  Who is Pig Pen (NOT the one from the Peanuts cartoon).
7.  Who in our household is a rollaholic on patches of snow (and ice)?
8.  My human and her sister made a lamb for Easter last year out of what?
9.  When is Dyngus Day?
10. Who had to wear a cone of shame because he had an abrasion on his nether parts?
11. What unique visitor did we have in May?
12. What article of home decor has been replaced repeatedly in our household?  Why?
13. What is my favorite non-palatable snack?
14.  What is a smirk smack?
15.  What is poket?
16.  What can be used to attract butterflies in Central Africa? Hint: this topic probably occurs more frequently than any topic on my blog. The topic my human's mother most disliked...
17.  How many dog sitters did we have last year?  Hint: my human went away TWICE.
18. What colorful attire did we get as guilt gifts when she went to Cape Breton?
19.  What are Galgos?
20.  What is happening at the end of January?

Drum roll........





So how do you think you did?  Let's see...
1.  Friendly Giant!
2.  The dreaded Dollar store.  AKA Pet torture supply shop.
3.  Poop bags!!  The ones we love.  With the handles.  But I forgot to tell you this WONDERFUL NEWS - they have brought them back!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I saw something in the paper about protest marches - and I think public pressure made them again carry them.  There is a God.
4. Bichon Frise  AKA cute fuzzy puff head
5. Whippet   Don't worry if you didn't remember these.  Either did we....
6. The black Labrador, Jackson, from down the road
7. Einstein.  The FG rolls on grass - but Einstein is famous for his snow dangels.
8.  Butter.  Wonder if they'll attempt it again this year.. 
9. The day after Easter!!! It's a Polish holiday.
10. Einstein .  Remember he is a DRAMA KING.  So we ALL suffered.
11. A BEAR!!!!
12. The dining room carpet.  Because the FG likes to chew the corners.  Speaking of which...(to be continued)
13. Dryer lint!!!  And pillowcases.
14. It's a term from my Viktionary.  That's when we canines stare at a human and smack our lips after we have eaten something BAD.  And the more gross the better!
15. Another Viktionary term - it's a verb.  It's the action of poking at a human's pocket when we KNOW there in a treat inside. Or even a salt grain sized piece of a treat.
16. DOG POOP!!!!!!
17. TWO!
18. Tartan scarves
19. Spanish sighthounds.
20.  MY HUMAN IS RETIRING!!!!!!

So here is the scoring:
1-10  You are a newbie.  Welcome to my blog.  We can become a bit addictive.  Partly because people like saying "glad those aren't MY dogs..."
10-15  You have been reading us for awhile - and you clearly pay attention!
16-20  You know more about us than we know about ourselves.  And you would like to meet us - knowing that you can leave at the end of the day and not live with us. 

We have free pawtographed photos for anyone who got ALL 20.  Postage not included.  OR we will come and stay at your house.  For a week...

THANKS FOR READING!!!

Have a good one!  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 1

Pockets. The EDIBLE kind.

So I am thinking this retirement thing is going to be a really good thing.  I told you about what a great day we had on Monday.  Even with the hat thing.  But I forgot to tell you the OTHER thing my human did... 

Now my human is NO gourmet.  Yeah - she CAN cook, but doesn't always have time to make big meals.  And we know that her baking skills are pretty meager.  She depends on friends and family at Christmas time to give her baked goods so she can serve them and look like she made them.  She never SAYS she made them.   And she will obviously say something if someone asks.  But I can't remember the last time I saw something made from scratch here.  Baked or otherwise.  So on Monday when she came back from a quick trip to the grocery store, imagine my SHOCK when she said she was making something for ME.

As you know, I take medication for my seizures.  In pill, tablet and liquid forms.  Liquids are no problem - she squirts them on my food and they are inhaled.  She could PROBABLY just pass me my pills and tablets - we know I will eat anything - but that's kind of dicey.  

Now what I am about to say...she actually hates to admit.  But we might as well fess up - because we have a new plan.  Up until now, she has been buying those chemical laden play doh-like pill pockets.  I know.  I know.  There are other options.  Like putting my pills in peanut butter.  (The all natural type with NO xylitol).  The problem is, we end up with peanut butter everywhere.  We DO use it when we need to - but it's a messy option.  We can put my pills in soft bread.  That works too.  But it has to be the RIGHT bread or it gets crumbly.  So on Monday, she decided to MAKE pill pockets.  Really.  Miss non-chef made me pill pockets.  And they were simple:

1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons coconut flour ( the recipe called for regular flour - but she SUBSTITUTED this ingredient.  Who IS this woman?)

You basically mix up the stuff, knead the "dough", make little balls, take a straw to make a hole in the ball, and then put them in the fridge.  Or the freezer.

I had my first pocket that same day - and whoosh - it was gone.  Mind you, I will eat anything.  But my human thinks these are better than the other commercial pockets.  Kind of like going off junk food.

If people have other pill pocket recipes, please feel free to share them.  She told me she's encouraged by this initial success.  Oh, it's the little things in life... This retriement thing is going to be VERY interesting!!!

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.
Seizure free days: 0. 

Bad news.  As my human was getting ready for bed last night, the FG started barking a funny bark.  She instantly knew something was wrong.  She raced out of the bathroom- and sure enough, I was having a seizure.  That made her go and look through all the video of the whole day.  And I had had another one around noon.  So we are back to zero...

Hats off to us!

I 

According to the crazy calendar, today is National Hat Day. 

And guess what my human got the other day in the mail? No.  Not a hat.  But a Christmas present.  To herself.  A big 5x7 backdrop for taking photos. It came in a small flat circle and then it springs open to be the big backdrop.  Getting it to go BACK into the flat circle was VERY entertaining to watch. VERY VERY entertaining.

Anyway if you combine a new photo backdrop AND National Hat Day - WHAT do you assume you get?  I’m SURE I don’t need to tell you.

She started with the easy model. Who was QUITE cooperative, but whose head did not really work with the  selected chapeaux !  Here are his best results.

Then we had moi. And surprisingly- I discovered I am a hat guy.  I look adorable, if I do say so myself!

And then we had the FG.  We KNOW, he is not really fond of  any kind of attire- even though he gets to PLAY tug between each and every shot!!!!  I think his are the most entertaining...

We had a great day yesterday.  My human was off so we had several long walks, we had marrow bones as a treat (for 20 minutes and then they were confiscated so no one gets soupy poops) and we had the photo shoots - which some of us enjoyed more than others.  Just think- we’ll do this ALL THE TIME very soon!!!  We can’t wait!

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 37

Important research

My human saw a meme on Facebook the other day and it made her chuckle.  It was as follows: 

Does anyone else tell their pets “I’ll be back soon” when you leave the house or is it just me?

I don’t know if they have done any studies on this ( I’m guessing SOMEONE got a big grant somewhere to answer this question), but I know it happens in our house.  All the time.

And there are different messages, depending on the day and the destination.  My human likes to tell us everything- because she thinks we want to be informed. Frankly, unless she is going to the pet store, we don’t REALLY care if she is going out to a friend’s place, or for dinner with her sister, or shopping or to work or to church... whatever. And her “I won’t be long” line is a bit of a stretch.  If you say that one human year  is like 7 dog years- well HER hour is NOT equivalent to OUR hour.

But we are used to the drill.  “See you later.  I won’t be long today.  Be good boys and watch the house.”  Bla bla bla.  We turn around and head for a comfy napping spot.

But don’t think we don’t actually associate those words with something.  And my human discovered a funny thing the other day.  She was trying to get another photo of us. As if she doesn’t have plenty.  She was trying to get all of us looking at her.  She was making all of her weird repertoire of sounds.  Was throwing her mittens in the air.  Was whistling and calling our names.  Nothing was working.  And then she said it “See you later. I won’t be long.”  And ALL    of us immediately stared at her.  Magic words.  Photo captured.

It has worked for several other shots, but we have now clearly caught on.  So like the weird sounds and the whistling, we are on to her.  We’re making her work harder.  

She came back from the dreaded Dollar Store on Friday.  Antlers are over...hopefully she didn’t find head bands with Valentine hearts.  And then we have the rabbit ears after that.  She had better come up with some REALLY interesting lines to get our attention for those shots...

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 36

If you do use those kinds of lines when you leave the house, take your dog outside and say them.  See if you do get their attention.  And let us know!!! We have no funding for this study, so you will not be paid for your participation,  but the benefit is that you will be contributing to important research on canine photography tips.   Let us know!!!!